Clarification from the agency

Only open to current permanent employees of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS) to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and the Minneapolis Veterans Canteen Service. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The incumbent specializes in the management of controlled substances and applies knowledge of DEA, VA, and other regulatory requirements while applying best practices according to facility policy/procedure. Appropriate judgment and skill are used to oversee all aspects of controlled substance inventory management, chain of custody on delivery, accountability, and problem solving, delivering excellent customer service and providing the pharmacy team with support and guidance. The incumbent must be able to work with minimal supervision within their scope in the management of the controlled substance vault and must have the ability to prioritize tasks and address concerns/questions that may arise from a random inspection.

Functions Of The Position:
Primary duties of the Lead Inpatient CS Pharmacy Technician include, but are not limited to:

1. Prepares, fills, and delivers medication orders and requests for controlled substances. Receives new stock and return-to-stock inventories. Responsible to ensure the accuracy of controlled substance records.
2. Conducts regular controlled substance inventories and maintains inventory records. Evaluates computerized reports that monitor controlled substances. Independently analyzes orders and distribution patterns to identify questionable circumstance or unusual trends. Communicates potential problems to a supervisor and independently supports troubleshooting and resolution where appropriate.
3. Interacts with controlled substance inspection officials and provides support in collaboration with pharmacy leadership.
4. Monitors controlled substance stock levels, maintaining an appropriate level of inventory to provide good patient care without excess stock. Actively works to identify opportunities to reduce waste due to outdated product. Ensures that vault stock is in date and stored according to USP, DEA, FDA, VA Directive and manufacturer requirements.
5. Completes annual mandatory training and education.
6. Develops training plans, competencies, SOPs, job aides, and other documents related to inpatient controlled substance management in collaboration with the Controlled Substance Program Manager and pharmacy management.
7. Provides training, orientation, and re-training (if needed) of pharmacists, pharmacy residents, technicians, and students in the detailed processes and procedures related to the distribution of controlled substance to patients enrolled in the Minneapolis VAHCS.
8. Collaborates with the procurement team to initiate and complete all orders for controlled substances, completing documentation as required by VA Directive, DEA regulation, and other regulatory requirements.
9. Applies safe handling when using hazardous materials and can reference the Safety Data sheets and the facility hazardous drug list.
10. Serves as a subject matter expert for dispensing and inventory of controlled substance medications utilizing VISTA and the Pyxis CII safe system.
11. Troubleshoots automated equipment malfunctions and follow-up for resolution, including seeking service support from biomed, OIT, or the vendor when appropriate.
12. Assists with performing other pharmacy technician duties as assigned with a focus on unit dose medication dispensing functions. Provides cross-coverage as needed to triage phone calls to the inpatient area and refer to appropriate pharmacist as necessary.
13. Maintains good workflow patterns to keep distribution of controlled substances in accordance with the necessary requirements.
14. Independently assesses workload volume throughout the day, identifying areas where support is needed and makes adjustments to meet organizational goals.
15. Responsible for ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
16. Supports the Inpatient Pharmacy team through a combination of independent and interdependent tasks. Supports, participates, and contributes to the team's efforts and effectiveness.

Customer Service
Relationships with supervisors, co-workers and others within the organization must be consistently courteous and cooperative in nature and overall contribute to the effective operation of the office. Performance must demonstrate the ability to adjust to change or work pressure in a pleasant manner; handle differences of opinion in a businesslike fashion; follow instructions conscientiously; and function as a team member, helping the group effort where possible. Interacts with a wide variety of staff and demonstrates sensitivity to and an understanding of their needs by taking ownership of the problem and adopting the customer's needs as their own.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm with rotating evenings, weekends and holidays
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education or Experience.
  • None required.
  • For all grade levels and positions that accept both education and experience to qualify, equivalent combinations of qualifying education and experience that total at least 100% are qualifying. The combined percentage is determined by adding total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level to the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level.
• Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  • Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  • Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
  • Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  • Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
  • Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

Pharmacy Technician, GS-09:

• Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08) and demonstrate the KSAs below.
• Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • PTCB as a CPhT. OR
  • NHA as a ExCPT.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for ALL GS-09 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:
  • Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards),controlled substances DEA, automation, clinical pharmacy, lead tech, contact center, etc.).
  • Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.
  • Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
  • Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g., The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists®, controlled substance inspections).
  • Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.